Obituaries : Inasio C. Tovias; Took Part in Iwo Jima Assault

Marine veteran and longtime Santa Paula resident Inasio Castillo Tovias died Tuesday at Santa Paula Memorial Hospital after a long fight with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. He was 75.

Born Feb. 28, 1920, in Rockdale, Tex., Tovias lived in the county for 62 years.

During the World War II, Tovias served with the Marine’s 5th Amphibious Corps, Fleet Marine Force. He was part of the beach assault on Iwo Jima in February, 1945, and was wounded by sniper fire during cleanup operations, said his daughter Gloria.

Awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his combat service, Tovias also received a Navy Unit Commendation ribbon, the Presidential Unit citation, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign medal and the Second World War Victory medal. After being sent home because of his wounds, he settled with his family in Santa Paula.

He later took a job with the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Port Hueneme, retiring in 1980 after 35 years of service.

Tovias was always “quietly proud” of his military service, but poor health kept him from attending celebrations this year marking the 50th anniversary of the victory at Iwo Jima and the end of World War II, his daughter said.

“When we told him about it, he started crying,” she said. “He understood what it meant. He remembered.”

Tovias was a parishioner at St. Sebastian Church in Santa Paula and also an avid gardener and carpenter.

“He loved doing yardwork or work around [his or his children’s] houses,” she said. “He was a handyman.”

In addition to his daughter, he is survived by his wife of 55 years, Vera; son and daughter-in-law Ron and Julie, all of Santa Paula; four grandchildren and a great-granddaughter. Also surviving are brothers Bart of Long Beach, and Paul and Joe of Santa Paula, and sister Benita Garcia of Los Angeles.

Vigil will be at 7 tonight and Mass at 10 a.m. Friday, both at St. Sebastian Church. Internment will follow at Santa Paula Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Assn. or the Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Assn.